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Pomegranate, chickpea and almond couscous salad

Feeling festive and totally inspired by Christmas colours I created a delicious salad last night after adding a little inspiration from recipes online and served up this lovely salad.

Fast to put together and has such wonderful flavours – I absolutely love this salad and I would even consider it a new favourite. I served it with lamb and a mint, lemon and yoghurt dressing, absolutely summer on a plate.

I love it when Pomegranates are in season, they are such a versatile fruit, I use them in a long list of salad combinations and even on top of slow braised meats (such as goat) to add an extra pop of beautiful sweetness. Don’t forget to include them in your next fruit salad either, they are little gems of fantastic flavour and I adore the colour and vibrancy they bring to any dish.

Some people can be intimated about getting the actual gems out of the hard outer case and inner membrane – but it couldn’t be more simple. Cut the Pomegranate in half, hold the cut side down in an open fingered palm and beat the back with a wooden spoon over a bowl – after a couple whacks the seeds will begin to fall out with effortless ease.

Serves 4 – 6 as a side

Festive coloured couscous salad

The list:

1 1/2 cups couscous

100g flaked almonds

400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Large handful mint, roughly chopped

Seeds from 1 pomegranate

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

1 cup Greek yoghurt

Olive oil

1Tbs butter or margarine

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

The method:

Add couscous to a bowl, cover with 2 1/2 cups boiling water and a good drizzle of olive oil. Cover bowl with cling-film and allow to stand for 5 minutes before adding in a tablespoon of butter/margarine and allowing to melt into the couscous, then fluff up couscous with a fork. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Meanwhile heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add the flaked almonds and toss until golden brown and toasted. Toss the pan frequently and stir the nuts to brown them evenly. Remove and allow to cool.

Into the same pan add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, warm over medium heat then add the drained chickpeas. Add the cumin and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry for 5 minutes tossing often until crispy and golden. Add the lemon juice and fry for another minute or two before adding to the cooked couscous.